Cover Model Body Personal Training

This is a fantastic Abdominal and core exercise! This engages your transverse abdomini (in other words your core) and abs into action working on strength and stability 😉

If you want to get your overall strength and stability up including six pack abs I would suggest doing this as a supplement exercise at least 3 times per week! 😉

Ok how to perform the exercise –

For a novice or beginner maybe start off with five 2.5 kg plates but for more advanced use 3×2.5kg, 4x5kg and 1x10kg..

Pile the weights either on the left or right side of you before you start. There are a few variations which I will do a few videos of another time! 😉

Make sure to keep your bum up a little so as not to put pressure on your lower back while doing the exercise.

Also try not to rock your hips while performing the exercise. The more stable you keep your body the better results you will get from the exercise 😉 As a personal trainer I am always emphasizing this to my personal training clients in the ABS Gym Personal Training Studio in Temple Bar.

Try time yourself each time you do the exercise so you can try beat your previous time! 🙂

As you can see it’s as simple as passing the plates across from one side to the other but it’s such an effective exercise!

For more cool training videos on how to get the best six pack abs log onto my website and sign up for FRE.E

Also check out my blog on my website for more tips on training, nutrition and personal training services in my Gym in Temple Bar;-)

This is a great way to finish of the biceps at the end of a session! The reason being is you are restricted in your movement and therefore you don’t swing your body to get the bar up when you start to fatigue! 😉 cool eh?

A non training or nutrition blog I wrote while sitting in traffic in Jakarta on my way to the airport to go to Bali…

My journey in Indonesia

It’s November 25th on a hectic night in Indonesia. I don’t think I’ve ever witnessed traffic like this in my entire life!!!

I’m sitting in the back of a bluebird taxi on the way to Jakarta Airport. Think I’m coming down with a cold, must be the cold aircon mixed with the 30-40oC humidity! That won’t dampen my spirits though, I’ve Bali to look forward to after all. My second visit in two weeks. I have a somewhat weird conversation with the non English speaking taxi driver, just hope he knows where he’s bringing mr because I haven’t got a clue!!

Ok I’m here, with only an hour to my flight and shit, I’ve only 70,000 rupiahs in my wallet and the taxi fare is 138,000. I use charades to try explain I’m running to an ATM for money and I’ll be back in 5minutes!.. Just hope my luggage is still there when I get back! 🙂

The first definitely wasn’t a vacation, it felt more like a school bootcamp, being told what to do, how to do it, what to wear and how to wear it! Thing is I’m not used to being told what to do and how to do it. Guess it’s being my own boss all of 7-8 years!

I definitely enjoyed Mr International in most parts but not so much in others! The organisation of the event on Nutrifoods part was fantastic! They are a brilliant bunch of people who worked their asses off for the two weeks of the event and put on a great show for the final in Central Park, Jakarta! A huge well done from me guys! 😉

The Singapore organisation who owns the Mr International competition on the other hand I found to be a huge let down! For me and for most people who attended the final, shocked and horrified are the two words that spring to mind at who their choices were for the top 15 to the top 5 contestants and even down to the eventual winner.

I was and am delighted for the winner because he’s a friend of mine but I amongst a lot of other people just can’t understand how this competition was judged and what it was judged on!

I myself could never have won it, the main reason being that I was not willing to pack up and move to Singapore for a year to live with an organisation I dot believe in!.. No thanks!! That mixed with having to lose heaps of muscle, definitely a big NO for me! 😉

You know that saying greatness is created by the pillars of failure or one door closes and two doors open?.. Well I’m an optimist and believe in making your own luck! I know my purpose for coming to Indonesia was not to win that competition but for a completely different reason! A reason probably not at all obvious to anyone else but me.

I have made some fantastic contacts here in Indonesia and have made lifelong friends 🙂 for me that makes me a winner! 😉

So here I am now sitting on my Garuda Indonesia flight to Bali. I’ve made a pact with myself to do at four things there that I have never done before! First one is diving. The rest I’ll figure out along my way! 😉 I might even rent a scooter and drive the length and breath of the island!

Not a huge difference with my diet but definitely a difference.. I will explain as you read through 😉 .I have been so busy with work, training and modeling that I have had to eat on to go a lot of the time!

Not the ideal situation for me but as I’ve said to many of my clients before when they ask this question, there’s always a healthy protein filled alternative to a baguette, wrap or a sandwich!

What’s so bad about a salad bowl? If ever I’m out and about and stuck that’s usually my preferred option. I have to say subway salad bowls and meatballs are EPIC! Love em 🙂 We all live on them in the ABS Gym!

So generally my diet is clean and mainly carb and the evil “SUGAR” free except for my one “CHEAT” day a week. I look forward to my cheat day every week.

See a lot people think that I am regimented and like a robot when it comes to my diet but hey I’m human after all!

Of course I love the sugar and fat filled bad stuff just like anyone else but I am dedicated to my training and to my physique so I can put aside the cravings for 6 days in the week.

Did you actually know that a “Cheat Day” is a GOOD thing to do!! You actually burn a lot more bodyfat and burn it quicker by doing it!

Pretty damn cool don’t you think? So yeah that pizza or chocolate cake once a week is definitely a good thing to do. I can hear you asking how?.

Well it’s simple when you know! When you’re on a low carb no sugar diet your metabolism can slow right down so what the “Cheat Day” does is stimulate your metabolism and gives it the kick in the ass it needs to speed right up and burns fat QUICKER! Cool 🙂

Don’t go nuts now and cheat from morning to night because that will defeat the purpose altogether.

You’ve got to structure it properly in such a way that you are manipulating your metabolism and creating an insulin rise in a structured manner.

Taking in too many calories means the excess will just turn to fat! Not cool!!

Always have a calorie deficit day the day before and the day after. This will trick your body into thinking it’s going to get something it craves but will be sorely disappointed thus causing your metabolism to speed right up and burn even MORE FAT even quicker! 😉

It’s also something to look forward to and work towards every week. I sure as hell know I do 🙂 hmmm what will I have this week?? Melted Belgian Chocolate with Profiteroles or banoffee pie.. Yum yum yum 🙂

Anyway enough on cheat days for now, back to my prep for this competition in Indonesia.

The past three weeks have been tough! I started a new program with structured timed training windows so means you’ve feck all rest between sets and also going for 10 reps on all exercises!..

More metabolic training to get me down to my target bodyfat of 6% before I go on the 8th o November 😉 Still lifting heavy though!!

Staying around the 110kg mark for benching and up to 160kgs squatting so don’t think just because you’re training in timed windows you need to drop the weight..

You do if you’re not getting the 10reps though! 😉 I’m also doing track sprint sessions 3/4 times per week. 30/40 yard sprints with 2minute rests in between. I usually do this 10 times! Great for burning fat and working your whole body especially your abs! 😉

Diet is always a tough thing to master and when you’re trying to get from 7.5% bodyfat to 6% in a week and a half it can be very tough.

The reason being is you are constantly in a calorific deficit in order to burn fat. I love eating so it’s definitely a very tough thing for me but I’m doing well!

Mainly staying with lean meat like chicken and greens like broccoli, spinach and salads. My last cheat day before I go was last Sunday so I enjoyed that! Haha I had a Chinese and a rocky road for desert! YUM 🙂

So I’ve six days left now and I’ll continue the way I’m going. I keep updating my Facebook fanpage with pics so keep looking to see how I am progressing over the next few days!.. Indonesia here I come! 🙂

I love my job as a Personal Trainer. I am forever telling people to just “Ask for help”..

Its great to see the health and fitness industry in Ireland growing. The public gyms are packed and people seem to be taking better care of themselves…

Well they are trying…

You see, the odds are stacked against you.

Most of the people in the gym that are in decent shape or are experienced trainees are performing advanced exercises.

Then novice trainees enter the gym and see the advanced exercises and deem them suitable for them

i.e they jump in the deep end…

Little do they know, in order to get to that level the experienced trainee didn’t start doing his/her current programme. And you shouldn’t start doing his/her current programme either… you need a beginners programme. 😉

Whether you want to gain muscle or lose fat you have to take into consideration that YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT TRAINING.. DON’T DO THE USUAL MONKEY SEE MONKEY DO!! If need be GET A PERSONAL TRAINER

Its true…

Would you just jump in a car and go driving?

NO, you would hire a driving instructor…

Would you jump in a swimming pool, having never learned to swim?

NO…. You would hire a ………..? Exactly you see where I’m going with this right?

Do you want to look like this in the gym? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGed3TYSUcM

Didn’t think so…

If you want to make serious progress in the gym and really take your body to the next level you need to

What a weekend myself and my good mate and fellow Personal Trainer Bryan Kavanagh just had over in Marbella. Just a four day break but in heinsight it was probably enough for the pair of us! I think we’d about 8hours sleep all weekend :-O

Most think that the pair of us wouldn’t know how to really let loose and enjoy ourselves in regards to taking a break from training and relaxing on our diets but believe me you are sincerely mistaken. This weekend was messy 🙂

Boy did we enjoy ourselves, we didn’t see the inside of a gym nor did we restrict ourselves to the likes of salads, meats and veg.

We did try for the first day with a salad when we arrived in Malaga and a few omelletes here and there but to be honest the diet was pretty horrible, we behaved like a pair of antelopes 🙂 but we can because we know how our metabolisms work. We know what our bodies can handle and what we can get away with. 😀

For instance on Sunday our diets consisted of two late coffees and two Maxi Bon ice creams while sitting on the beach both 388kcals each :-O the reason I’m telling you this is simply because I want to show you that it’s not all torture and you don’t have to stop eating the things you love, but you’ve got to work hard enough to be able to deserve it! 🙂

Obviously because we’ve been training so long and are strict on our diets we can get away with splurging like we just did but most people won’t so I’m going to tell you what you can do to be able to enjoy yourself but not put on those extra unwanted holiday pounds 🙂

Substitute the bad for the good.. 😉 I’m by no means saying not to go and enjoy yourself, it’s your holidays after all but I hear the same thing constantly when people come back to the gym after holidays, why did I do that, I feel horrible, I ate too much crap!..

Why do it then? I just don’t get it. You know what you’re putting into your body when you’re doing it but it still doesn’t seem to stop you! Remember little changes while you’re away can make all of the difference!..

Well here’s how to do it

# Instead of chips have a side salad

# Don’t mix sugar and fats ie don’t have a desert after a fatty meal, if you want something sugary have it on it’s own, mixing sugars and fats is one if the worst things you can do and people do it constantly! You’re body can’t break down the sugar after a fatty meal and therefore immediately stores as fat! Not what you want right??

In order to get RIPPED for summer you need to first change your method of thinking.

Who doesn’t want to improve on their physique?? I know I always strive to improve my knowledge as a Personal Trainer as well as my body. If you want to get into the best shape you have ever been in in time for summer you first have to change a few things

1. Firstly you have to change the way you think!2. Secondly the way you eat, your nutrition!3. Thirdly and last but most certainly not least your training!!!

Changing these three areas are what will get you the very achievable results you so crave! 😉

The number one thing we disregard is the way we think or our attitude. Of course everyone wants the easy way out but in reality it’s just damn hard work, there is no easy way out, but if you want to make losing bodyfat easier which is what everyone wants, then you need to be serious and determined about it and setting your goals in place. Remember that if the way you train and eat doesn’t improve, your physique won’t either.

The main problem I find with training clients is their disregard to take fat loss seriously.

You have to give some serious thought to this so remember that there is one hundred and sixty eight hours in every week for you to make progress and if you only dedicate six of them hours, that still leaves you with one hundred and sixty two hours in which you can progress even further or really make a mess of things.

You really need to sit down and ash yourself this question. Think hard about it and answer honestly. At the end of the day you are only kidding yourself. SO, are you prepared to take your training, the hard work and losing fat seriously? Or do you just want to keep frustrating yourself and keep banging your head off of that brick wall because unless you are dedicated and willing to take these things seriously that’s what you may as well be doing!!! The choice is yours!

Ok well Ive decided to set out several key elements to follow which will enable you to conquer the battle with losing that bodyfat this summer! Here they are –

1: Always have a timeframe in mind and set realistic goals. 😉

In order to achieve you first must believe. Setting out realistic goals and giving yourself a timeframe will set you on your way. Make sure to set out short-term goals, long-term goals and a POA ( plan of action ) Included in this POA should be your training, rest, nutrition

etc . The reason behind this is, as you start to see results and realise that your short term goals are now becoming a reality, your long term goals seem so much more achievable.

2: Educate yourself on nutrition and training.

Firstly you should amass knowledge about training and nutrition by asking as many questions as possible and reading articles from people with a proven track record. By doing this it will give you an insight into different perspectives on what you will need to do to achieve your goals. Everyone wants results right?.. So please don’t just do things for the sake of doing them, you need to have a broadened understanding of why you’re doing it! If needs be call a professional! 😉

3: Put Into Practice What You Learn and Keep An Eye On Your Progression.

Ok you’ve done the homework, asked the questions and read the articles. Now it’s time to take all of that and put it into practice, 100%!!! This is the only way it will work for you. It’s all or nothing, no point in a half hearted effort, you’re wasting your time! Keeping an eye on your progression by monitoring your weight, measurements, body fat percentage, workout progression by intensity, structured timed training windows and weight you are lifting. Also take before and after pics and see how your clothes fit. These are great ways to gauge your progression.

4: Determination and Patience

You must must be DETERMINED. Determination and drive are two main factors in achieving optimal results. No one can wave a magic wand and make you RIPPED over night, it takes time so you have to be in it for the long haul. This requires patience, Patience is another key factor in getting the desired result you want, the worst thing you can do is give up because of frustration that it’s not happening quickly enough for you. It WILL happen! Give it time 😉

5: You wana look ‘LEAN’ well you gota WEIGHT TRAIN!!!

We all want to be lean and RIPPED right? Not skinny or skinny fat. Believe me there is such a thing. I had one client in particular who by looking at her you would have said she was about 15% bodyfat and in great shape but was shockingly 32% bodyfat! Looks can be deceiving! In order to start the process of getting that ‘Lean / Ripped look you really need to start a resistance training plan using an

amalgamation of free and bodyweight exercises.

6: Fatloss – Learning to Walk before you Run!

Your average Joe is clearly athletically unfit. Most would be nowhere near able to handle intense fat loss training. As I keep saying there are no miracles in fat loss and muscle building just HARD WORK, DETERMINATION, MOTIVATION AND DESIRE. You really have to be in it for the long haul people! By doing this you will have long term progress!

A big problem with a lot of people is they want results overnight, not going to happen I’m afraid. I see too many people going to the gym and trying to too much high intensity and over training. Over training is extremely beneficial but only and I repeat only if you know what you are doing!!! I do this every so often because it increases strength but it has to be structured. Doing this too often will burn you out and will slow down muscle growth. High intensity cardio is fantastic and a great way to burn bodyfat fast but too much too soon can run you down, you need to graduate this over a period of time in a structured manner to get the best results! 😉

7: Enjoyment in getting RESULTS!

All of the aforementioned is tough tough work but can be extremely enjoyable especially when you start seeing results which you most definitely will! 😉 if you expect results and put in the hard work necessary you WILL achieve, at the end of the day the only thing that will work is hard work! 😉 A defeatest attitude will get you nowhere so sort out your PMA ( positive mental attitude ) and get going. Summer’s already here! DO IT 🙂

This is an explosive fat burning, muscle building exercise. Not only is it working the shoulders but it incorporates your legs(quads, hamstrings, gleuts), arms(triceps) and abs.

This exercise will definitely get your heart pumping and get you into optimum fat burning mode. As well as building muscle at the same time.. That’s what we all want right? 😉

Remember it’s all about athletic explosive movements 😉 the more big muscle groups we incorporate into one movement the harder the body has to work and therefore the more bodyfat you will burn!!! 😉

How to do the exercise –

As always the correct technique is pivotal in getting the utmost benefit from this and any exercise!

So get your arse and chest out keeping the natural curve in your spine, this will keep any pressure off of your lower back and prevent injury 😉

Unrack the bar keeping your bum and chest out and also keeping the knees bent, the bend in the knees will give you the explosive power you will need to get the bar up over your head.

Make sure to lock the bar out once you’ve pressed it over your head! 😉 bring the bar slowly back down to the chest taking the eccentric movement or the negetive, this will ensure optimum tearing of the muscle = muscle growth!!!

Remember to keep the elbows tucked, chest out, arse out an knees bent!..believe me you will feel this in your abs, legs, arms and shoulders!

Repeat five times with weighted or bodyweight chins on the roman chair or maybe some weighted or bodyweight inverted rows, doing this means you are hitting a lot of big muscles at the same time! 🙂

Personal Trainer Dublin Darragh Hayes

Hi I’m Darragh Hayes.

I am a Professional Model, Company Director and Physique Transformation Specialist here in Dublin, Ireland. I have worked for Calvin Klein, D&G, Tom Ford, Lucozade, Diet Coke, U magazine, Fate Magazine, Men’s Fitness magazine, Louis Copeland but to name a few..

I currently work out of my personal training studio in Temple bar, Dublin City Centre. Click here -> Personal Training Studio Temple Bar to read more about it.

I have had a huge amount of success working with people one to one as a personal fitness trainer but the problem is I want to help everyone that will listen! This isn’t like other personal trainer websites. I intend to help as many people as possible that have questions about routines, nutrition and lifestyle management or anything regarding fitness training.

Personal Trainer Dublin - John Weldon Transformation

Dublin Personal Trainer - Louise Quinn Transformation

Please Comment on the posts! Ask questions and I will post/reply to them! This isn’t a company site or anything, just me! Ask, ask, ask!

I currently hold the title of Mr Universe Model 2011 which was held in the Dominican Republic last May and Mr International 2010 which was held in Indonesia.

I need to make it clear to everyone that I am an athlete and have never taken any banned or performance enhancing substances including Steroids or Subscription Diuretics. Everything I have achieved is through pure hard work, determination, willingness to learn and a broadened knowledge of the human body and nutrition. With regards to supplements, the most I take is a good Whey protein pre and post workouts, Multi Vits and Omega3 fish Oils. Supplements cannot make a bad diet a good one and cannot replace the nutritional value of good food.

My story so far..

From winning national and world titles to having the privilege to say I have worked with many of many of the most illustrious fashion and health&fitness magazines and fashion designers around. Many of my achievements so far have come through my desire, determination to succeed, willingness to learn and my love and passion for Sports, Health & Fitness.

Many people think that achieving the lean athletic/cover model look is unattainable. They think that people have to starve yourself and restrict fluids for days at a time. This just isn’t the case. I most certainly don’t

I’ve heard of people going to extremes with their exercise and diets, leaving themselves deprived and weak for photoshoots and I can’t understand why they put themselves through such hell. There is no need!!!

Personally my personal training programme looks more like that of an athlete. I train with intensity, lift heavy weights and eat clean, but I don’t take it to the extremes that you may have heard of. It means I train less, have more time to live and achieve better results!

The guys that take it to those extremes have it all wrong, they train 6 days per week or more and like bodybuilders ’bulking up in between shoots and then have to severely restrict calories in order to drop the body fat they have accumulated. It doesn’t make sense to me. I only train 3-4 days per week but it’s because of the athletic way I train that I only have to do it 3-4 times per week.

I was quite young when I started going to the gym purely because it was part of my training as a professional footballer. I was about 17 when I first started but I got hooked and of course I was training like everyone else, the wrong way. I was training like a bodybuilder, isolating body parts and therefore training 6-7 days per week. Thinking back now I laugh because it was nuts!!

I am lucky that I have really good genetics. I started to fill out and went from the “skinny” kid to the “You look different, bigger” guy. It felt good, people started noticing that I was putting on muscle but again it was training that made no sense looking back on it now.

God I used to spend hours in the gym neglecting life. I would put friends and family off for training. This was down to looking at and listening to the wrong people. I didn’t want to be the “bigger” guy anymore. I wanted to be “RIPPED”

This all fuelled my desire more and soon nobody had the answers to the questions I was asking. I wanted to have a greater understanding of how and why things happened the way they did. I was sick of reading crap in magazines and listening to the old school bullshit. I wanted to know more so I researched, I studied and I never stopped asking questions. It took time but I slowly built up a solid knowledge of nutrition and training the right way, the athletic/cover model way!

No longer did I train like a bodybuilder doing boring isolation exercises and spending 6-7 days a week in the gym. I changed my mindset and started training like an athlete, like a cover model, using explosive weighted and bodyweight movements

People then started asking me the intricate questions I was once asking, even people who helped me in the gym and who once answered my questions. This all led to me getting my qualifications and in my view I will never stop learning because my appetite is so strong for knowledge.

A few more years of putting my new found knowledge to use and I started getting modelling jobs I never thought possible. The likes of Calvin Klein, D&G, Lucozade, Diet Coke, top Asian supplement company L-Men and top men’s fitness magazines were booking me. These were the types of jobs I could only dream of and now they were actually happening.

Train athletically, eat clean and you can have a cheat meal every now and again. It’s not a problem. This is how I do it and it works. I look forward to my cheat day once a week and would still perform this ritual leading up to a photoshoot. I am in single digit body fat all year round because of training athletically and eating the way I do.

For instance I couldn’t train last year for three months because of an injury but I didn’t get fat or lose too much muscle because I kept my diet clean. It just makes sense! Eat clean and stay lean!

Again I can’t reiterate enough how much hard work this is and you have to be 100% committed to learning and achieving. It’s what has gotten me where I am today. It’s one of the hardest things I have ever had to do, committing fully to the lifestyle and sacrifices I have had to make to try succeed at my dream. It’s been really tough at times and I have enjoyed the journey so far, although I wouldn’t say I have yet achieved my dream, I most definitely haven’t. This is one of the main reasons that keeps me so motivated and driven.

I always encourage anyone with a dream to stop dreaming about it and to coin one of the best phrases around “Just Do It”. This is my mentality , make the necessary steps to put them into action, a thought is still a thought unless you do something about it. Make a plan and JUST DO IT!